Prime Minister Orders All Bangladesh Ports to Operate 24 Hours

Prime Minister Tarek Rahman has ordered all ports across Bangladesh to operate around the clock to facilitate trade and accelerate import and export activities.

The directive was issued Saturday, August 1, during a high-level meeting with leading businesspeople and industrialists at the Prime Minister’s Office in Tejgaon, Dhaka.

Mahdi Amin, adviser to the prime minister and spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s Office, disclosed the decision while briefing reporters after the meeting.

According to Amin, representatives of the private sector proposed introducing 24-hour commercial services for import and export operations at major facilities, including Chattogram Port and Dhaka airport.

“The prime minister immediately issued instructions on the matter,” Amin said. He added that government agencies would work together to ensure that all ports in Bangladesh can provide services 24 hours a day.

The move is expected to speed up import and export procedures and reduce delays in the movement of goods.

The meeting also covered challenges facing the private sector, existing business constraints and the overall investment environment in Bangladesh.

Amin said the government discussed ways to attract more investment to economic zones operated by the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) and Bangladesh Export Processing Zones Authority (BEPZA), as well as measures to resolve administrative and regulatory complications.

Several ministers, state ministers, advisers and senior government officials also participated in the discussions and shared their views.

Amin said the government wants to establish a policy environment that provides stronger support to the private sector.

He said the government intends to pursue a “pro-business, pro-investment” policy aimed at expanding employment and self-employment opportunities, particularly for young people and women.

Amin said business representatives welcomed the government’s willingness to make immediate decisions on policy-related proposals.

He said the meeting was primarily aimed at simplifying business operations, increasing investment and creating more employment opportunities in Bangladesh.

The government, he added, intends to prioritize national interests while implementing business-friendly policies and measures designed to support economic growth.